Method of making rands.



L. H. SHAW.

METHOD OF MAKING RANDS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2, 1908.

Patented May 24, 1910.

UNITED s A ns PATENT OFFICE.

LINUS H. SHAW, OF BROCKTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR 'IO UNITED SHOE MACHINERY COHIPANY, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEIV JERSEY.

IVIETHOD OF MAKING BANDS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LINUS H. SHAW, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brockton, in the county of Plymouth and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Methods of Making Hands, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating like parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to methods of producing rands.

In an application for Letters Patent filed contemporaneously herewith I have shown and described a rand diminishing in height from its curved end toward its breast ends. The present invention is concerned more particularly with the provision of a method of producing such rands.

According to the procedure hereinafter described there is imparted to a straight strip of leather the contour required to pro duce a rand of diminishing height from rear to breast, and thereafter said strip is bent or turned into a curved shape suitable to permit its application to a heel. To this end the straight strip of leather is so shaped that it not only tapers transversely to a thin edge but also diminishes in thickness from its middle portion toward each end.

An important feature of the invention consists in a procedure for producing a straight strip of stock having the varying thickness above mentioned. According to the preferred mode of operation a piece of stock of approximately the length of the rand strips desired isreduced in thickness from its middle portion toward each end for example by beveling off each end by a transverse cut. The piece of stock so treated is preferably of a width sufiicient to permit a series of rands to be cut therefrom. After the beveling operation referred to the piece of stock is divided longitudinally into sections of a predetermined width and each section is split longitudinally by a cut extending obliquely from the top surface to the bottom surface of the section, thus producing from each section two strips tapering transversely to a thin edge and diminishing in thickness from their middle portions toward each end.

Other features of the invention will be hereinafter described.

In the drawings which indicate a series of Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 2, 1908.

Patented May 24:, 1910.

Serial No. 438,235.

steps constituting one mode of producing the present invention; Figure 1 shows a piece of stock of a form suitable to be operated upon in the manner illustrated in Figs. 2 and Fig. 2 shows the stock after being subjected to a beveling operation. Fig. 3 shows the stock divided into rand strips; and Fig. t shows a rand strip bent into U- shape for application to a heel.

In producingthe present invention I may operate upon a piece of stock 1, of approximately the length of the rands desired and of a width suiiicient to permit a series of rands to be cut therefrom by parallel lines of severance. Said stock 1 is first skived or beveled transversely at each end, removing therefrom the wedge-shaped portions 2, 4:. The two portions 2, 4 may be removed simultaneously or successively, as desired. As shown in Fig. 2, these residue portions constitute material suitable for the production of wedge lifts. After the beveling operation the piece of stock shown is divided longitudinally into a plurality of sections of a predetermined width which are successively severed from the stock. In the same operation each of said sections is divided longitudinally by an oblique cut into two similar rand strips tapering transversely to a thin edge.

It will be seen from Fig. 3 that the section which is split into two rand strips 6, 8, is divided by a cut extending obliquely from the top face to the bottom face of the section. The lines of severance produced in said faces by the cut have at all points a uniform relation to the edges of the section, regardless of the varying thickness of the section at different points in its length. The rand strips thus produced are consequently of the same width at all points in their length. It will be seen that in consequence of the beveling operation indicated in Fig. 2 the rand strips produced in the splitting operation indicated in Fig. 3 diminish in thickness from their middle portions toward each end. To prepare the rand strips shown in Fig. 3 for application to heels they are bent or turned into curved form; for example that shown in Fig. 4. It will be observed that the height of the rand thus produced diminishes from its curved end toward its breast ends.

The transverse cut to which the stock is subjected in the operation indicated in Fig.

2 preferably extends to a point short of the middle of the piece of stock. There is, consequently, a portion 5, 5 which is of uniform thickness longitudinally of the stock. It will be seen that this produces in each rand strip shown in Fig. 3 a portion at its middle part of uniform thickness longitudinally of the strip. This feature may be desired on account of the fact that a rand when applied to aheel is bent more at the curved end than at the sides. To secure a uniform taper in height the straight rand strip should therefore taper longitudinally less abruptly at its middle portion than at its end portions. It will also be seen that where the beveling operation is performed as shown in Fig. 2 the residue portions 2, at have a greater taper than would be the case if the transverse cut extended to the middle point of the piece of stock. The value of said sections 2, 4, for use as wedge lifts is thereby increased.

A particular advantage of the procedure described for producing rand strips tapering both longitudinally and transversely consists in the fact that the longitudinal taper is secured for a number of rands at one operation. Not only is the cost of production of the rands thereby lessened but also the refuse resulting from their production may be of a shape suitable for use in the art.

It will be understood that changes may be made in the procedure above described without departing from the present invention. For example, the stock operated upon may be equal in length to a plurality of rands or may be of any convenient size. It

would also be within the present invention,

for example, to reduce the stock to the form shown inFig. 2 in ways other than that disclosed.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. The method of producing rands of the form described, which consists in first reducing in thickness a piece of stock from its middle portion toward each end, and thereafter splitting said stock longitudinally into two strips tapering transversely to a thin edge.

2. The method of producing rands of the form described, which consists in first reducing in thickness a piece of stock from its middle portion toward each end by skiving said stock transversely, and thereafter splitting said stock longitudinally into two strips tapering transversely to a thin edge.

3. A method of producing rands of the form described, which consists in first re ducing stock in thickness from its middle portion toward each end, thereafter dividing said stock longitudinally into a plurality of sections of predetermined width and splitting each section longitudinally into two strips tapering transversely to a thin edge.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LINUS H. SHAW.

Witnesses:

BERNARD BARROWS, ALLAN H. BARROWS. 

